The Bangor Liberty Bell

Sharing the News and Views of

Bangor Liberty Friends Church

January 2005 Volume 26, No. 1

Keith Haisch, Pastor

A Windshield View of Life

Everyone knows that the windshield in a car is much bigger than the rearview mirror. This is an excellent parable of the way we should approach life. Most of our attention should be focused on today’s traffic - or the things that are happening right now - rather than on concerns from the past.

It’s a good practice to glance in the rearview mirror now and then to see what’s happening behind you. But we should never make the backward view our main concern. When we do, we become a danger to ourselves and others because we lose our awareness of the present moment and its significance.

Learn from the past, but live every day to its fullest as you claim the bountiful promises of God.

Becoming Your Favorite Church

with H.B. London

from Focus on the Family

February 4-5, 2005

Oskaloosa, Iowa

Iowa Quaker Men Banquet

6:30 p.m. – Friday, February 4

Student Center, Vennard College

All conference attenders are welcome to attend the banquet.

Ministry Conference

Saturday, February 5, 2005

College Avenue Friends Church

8:15 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Save Money! Register before January 14^th

Registration forms available at the church.

Banquet:

Iowa Quaker Men Members - $5.00 each

Other Attenders $7.50 each

After registration deadline $8.50 each

Conference:

Early registration $20.00 each

After registration deadline $25.00 each

Lunch Tickets for Saturday

Sack Lunch at College Avenue $5.00 each

One Year Bible Reading Plan

Some tips for reading through the Bible:

Read - the passage for the day, listening closely for what God is saying.

Explore - what the Bible has to say by asking questions.

Act - on the truth by finding one thing you can DO.

Pray - the verses you have just read back to God.

CQH Summer Camp Dates

Theme - In God We Trust - Proverbs 3:5-6

Little Fry May 21-22

Fry June 10-12

High School June 17-21

Weekender June 17-19

Fox June 23-26

Jr. High July 5-9

House of Compassion Report

December 30^th

We served 48 guests generous helpings of vegetable beef stew, crackers, peaches, bananas, cookies and ice cream, milk and coffee. Thanks again to all of our great volunteers who provided food or funds, prepared, served or helped with clean up. Most of the volunteers also took time to eat a meal and joined the guests at the tables. There were several children and younger people eating tonight.

We learned tonight that the dishwasher machines each had delay buttons. When they were set they wouldn't run until around midnight, after everyone had taken their showers. Always learning something new!

Jean found us monitors this time. A man and 3 teenage boys, who were working off community service, volunteered to stay the night. Four men and one lady stayed last night and they thought they were all returning. Thanks to everyone's support of this ministry.
Margaret

What’s Going On

Adopt-A-Family

Eighteen families or individuals of our church, plus the Youth Group were involved in purchasing gifts or food or donating funds for the House of Compassion Adopt-A-Family Christmas project. Seven families or individuals were helped by our church members’ generosity. The two families where I delivered gifts were both very appreciative of our help. Thanks to all who participated with this ministry. Margaret Good

Children’s Church

Our January lessons and service projects will involve learning about Job and about our Quaker Mission workers. Children, age 5 through grade 5, are welcome to join us on January 2^nd, 19^th, and 30th.

Bangor USFW

The Bangor USFW will have a workday at the church Tuesday, January 18. We’ll gather around 9:30 or 10:00 to begin sorting items from the storage area under the lift. Making baby blankets will be our other project. A light soup lunch will be provided by Leo & Meg. Betty will bring the lesson around 1:00. Remember to bring your $9 for dues.

Monday Night Bible Study

We’re now in chapter 15 of the book of Luke and would welcome others to join us at 7:30 on Mondays. We’re meeting in homes during the winter months, so watch the bulletin for the location.

Iowa Quaker Men

All men and boys of the church are invited to become members of the Iowa Quaker Men organization of IAYM. Yearly dues are $15 and these will help support the work at Camp Quaker Heights, Iowa Friends Disaster Service and so much more. On Feb. 4^th their annual banquet will be held in conjunction with the ministry conference with H.B. London from Focus on the Family as guest speaker

Iowa Quaker Men have an opportunity to help with a Friends Disaster Service project in North Carolina, March 7-12, 2005. This coincides with the ARISE & SHINE Conference to be held March 11-12 at Quaker Lake Camp, Climax, North Carolina Registrations are available at the church for the Ministry Conference with H.B. London, the Quaker Men’s Banquet, and also for the Arise and Shine Conference.

Without faith - you are like a stained glass window in the dark.

Missions

          The Missions committee wishes to thank everyone who took part in the Thanksgiving "Thank" Offering. It is our prayer that we, as a church, will continue to support our Missions around the world in the new year.
            Andy and Lisa Stout will be moving to Belize, starting the early part of January 2005, to help Mike and Kay Cain in their work there.   Andy will be able to use his social work skills in guidance and counseling and in home visiting. Lisa will contribute to bookkeeping and other administrative work within the school.   They will be spending most of the first year learning from the Cains and their new culture. Mike and Kay will be retiring in two years time. They will gradually be released to work on the possibility of a new High School for boys and girls at La Democracia. This is a concern that has been on their hearts for years. Andy and Lisa are excited at the possibilities of their new work in Belize. And on a more personal note, they will be expecting their first child in May 2005.
          Christmas Greetings from Mary Kay Rehard and Patrick Nugent and update us on the many ways that God has challenged them in Kenya. Their girls, Emma and Eliza, are continuing their schooling at St Andrew's Turi. They are taking piano, violin, cello, field hockey, cross-country and archery, along with their academic studies. When they arrived back in Kenya , they welcomed 25 new students at FTC. They are trying to recruit more women students. They now have a new vehicle, a Toyota Hilux double cabin pickup truck, with a cap and passenger benches in the back. (They praise God for this.) They welcomed Eden and James Grace in November, who will be FUM Field Officers in the new FUM African Ministries Office, which has opened in nearby Kisumu. Their prayer is that they discern, accept, and live by God's will and purposes, and manifest the kingdom of God in their lives and work.

Christine Wood was recorded as a minister by Mid-America Yearly Meeting in July. Christine, who works alongside her husband, Brad, at Kickapoo Friends Center in Oklahoma has been involved in ministry for 23 years.

BL Missions Committee

The Library Ledge:

Thanks to the $20 donated at the used book sale we have been able to purchase a DVD of Chonda Pierce entitled “Have I Got a Story For You!” Look for it and other donated materials on the table in the entryway during January.

It’s Bible Brush Up Time! Start the New Year with a new routine of Bible study. Our church has many books that will help you to grow in your Christian walk. You’ll find several displayed on the library ledge this month.

Harry Ironside was one of the most loved and effective Bible teachers of the early 20^th century. Ironside devoted the first hour of every day to Bible study and prayer. On one occasion when he was lecturing at a seminary, a student came to him and said “Dr. Ironside, I understand that you get up early every day and read your Bible. How do you manage to do it? Do you pray about it?” “No,” Ironside said. “I just get up.”

Ironside knew that his spiritual life depended on a regular time in the Word of God. He didn’t need to ask God if he should do it. He regarded this discipline as absolutely necessary in the development of his spiritual life and his influence on others. He couldn’t get along without.

Are you developing the habit of reading God’s Word daily?

House of Compassion Review of 2004: fulfilling our mission statement,

“Called by our faith in Jesus Christ to act in love, the House of Compassion responds to the needs of our neighbor and advocates justice and dignity for all.”

Thank you for all the assistance you give to the House of compassion; in volunteer hours, goods for the Supply Closet or monetarily. It is only through everyone’s generosity that this mission continues to be just that -a mission.

The Soup Kitchen averaged 1573 meals served per month with 218 volunteers monthly. The shelter, on an average, furnished 190 nights of shelter per month with 56 monitors monthly. The Supply Closet averaged 427 households served each month. 17 volunteers came every week to pass out the 3 donated items allowed per household.

In August the Back-To-School program gave out 880 backpacks full of school supplies. In 2002 we helped 675 students, in 2003 it rose to 760 students and this year it was an additional 120 students. Did you know that 1 out of 5 children live in poverty?

Thank you to everyone who supported the Adopt-A-Family Christmas program. There were 145 families (511 people) that were adopted. (Paula Young)

Thanks to everyone who has donated bedding and towels for shelter guest use, supplies for the kitchen (household items for shelter guests to take with them when they move into their own place and sturdy utensils for use by House of Compassion), hotel soaps and shampoos, quilts, artificial Christmas trees and decorations, underwear and socks for the shelter guests, hats and mittens, food and/or money. All of these things are always appreciated.

Bangor Liberty Friends Church,

We just wanted to thank you for supporting Chrysalis Character Center over the past year. It means so much to us. It has been a big year for us. We have had a name change, completed all our government paperwork, added three new members to our team, and we are now working on grants and fundraising. It is very busy, but it is also very exciting.

2005 promises to be just as busy. T.J. is currently working on the treatment program for the boys, Mari is working on organizing grants, and I am attempting to work on our first year budget. Please keep us in your prayers.

May God bless you in the New Year,

Lindsey Ellis, CCC Co-Founder

Keys to Contentment

Health enough to make work a pleasure

Wealth enough to support your needs

Strength enough to battle with difficulties and overcome them

Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them

Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished

Charity enough to see some good in your neighbors

Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others

Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

Johann W. VonGoethe

Rec Around The Clock

When: February 25-26, 2005

Who: Those in grades 5-12

8:00 p.m. Registration at Marshalltown Friends Church

8:30 p.m. Worship at Marshalltown Friends

10:00 p.m. Head to the YMCA

5^th-8^th grade at the old YMCA

9^th-12^th grade at the new YMCA

6:00 a.m. departure

Cost: $28.00 per person

Staff: $15 per person

Group Rate: 15 or more students and staff

From the same church:

Students: $23.00 per person

Staff: $10.00 per person

At the Door:

Students: $30

Staff: $15

What to Bring: swimsuit & towel, snack money, and friends!

Registration form and fee must be postmarked by February 18.

Repeat Performance

O God of Second Chances

and New Beginnings,

Here I am again.

-Nancy Spiegelberg